Best Laptops to buy in 2026 for young people
Laptops for study, design and gaming — pick the right machine for your budget.
Each product is scored on 4 category-specific criteria, weighing specs, common real-world experience and Vietnamese market prices.
- MacBook Pro 14 M5 9.4
- MacBook Air 13 M4 16GB/256GB 9.3
- ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED 8.7
- ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (RTX 4060) 8.6
- Lenovo LOQ 15 (RTX 4050) 8.4
- Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 8.3
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 8.2
- HP Pavilion Aero 13 8.2
- ASUS Vivobook 14 OLED 8.1
- Acer Aspire Go 15 7.3
1MacBook Pro 14 M5
9.4
A workhorse for video editing, coding and heavy design.
✓ Stunning mini-LED display · Very powerful · Great speakers
✗ Expensive · Heavier than the Air
2MacBook Air 13 M4 16GB/256GB
9.3
The best laptop for study and work: thin, silent and an 18-hour battery.
✓ Outstanding battery · Fanless and silent · 16GB RAM standard
✗ Only 256GB storage · Few ports
3ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED
8.7
Premium thin-and-light with a 3K OLED and long battery on new AI chips.
✓ Stunning 3K OLED · Excellent battery · Elegant design
✗ Pricey · Few full-size ports
4ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (RTX 4060)
8.6
A tough gaming laptop with an RTX 4060 for smooth AAA play.
✓ Strong RTX 4060 · Good cooling · Military-grade durability
✗ Heavy · Short battery when gaming
5Lenovo LOQ 15 (RTX 4050)
8.4
A student-priced gaming laptop for design classes and games.
✓ Great price for RTX · Good keyboard · Easy RAM upgrades
✗ Average colour accuracy · Bulky charger
6Dell Inspiron 14 Plus
8.3
A powerful laptop for office pros and engineering students.
✓ Sharp 2.8K screen · Stable performance · Solid build
✗ A bit pricey · Somewhat heavy
7Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5
8.2
A well-rounded study and office laptop, sturdy with plenty of ports.
✓ Solid metal build · Plenty of ports · Good battery
✗ Small speakers · Average webcam
8HP Pavilion Aero 13
Under 1kg — carry it to class all day without sore shoulders.
✓ Very light · Good battery · 16:10 display
✗ Fingerprint magnet · Small speakers
9ASUS Vivobook 14 OLED
8.1
A vivid OLED screen at a student price, light enough for campus.
✓ Gorgeous OLED · Comfortable keyboard · Reasonable price
✗ Average battery · Plastic chassis
10Acer Aspire Go 15
A budget laptop for online classes, documents and browsing.
✓ Affordable · Roomy 15.6-inch screen · Fine for basic study
✗ Not for design or games · Dim display
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